Biodegradation of Dibenzo-p-dioxin and Dibenzofuran by Bacteria

Polychlorodibenzofurans and polychlorodibenzo-pdioxins are among the most toxic xenobiotics released into the biosphere and the cause of significant public concern because of their apparent ubiquityalbeit at low levels- in food and environment. Several bacteria able to degrade nonchlorinated dioxin and dibenzofuran and in some cases to attack chlorinated analogues have recently been isolated. This opens up the possibility that bioremediation processes may ultimately be developed to eliminate these toxic compounds from contaminated sites. In this review we summarize current knowledge on the genetics and biochemistry of dioxin and dibenzofruan degradation by Sphingomonas sp. RW1, a gram-negative bacterium, and highlight the unusual nature of the genetic organization of these pathways.